Work out the force multiplication a lever, pulley or ramp provides.
A machine multiplies force at the cost of distance: the load always moves less than the effort by the same factor. Friction means the actual advantage falls short of the geometric ideal. No machine creates energy — the distance trade-off is exact, and efficiency only makes the outcome worse than the geometry promises.
Mechanical Advantage
Mechanical advantage = load force ÷ effort force
Mechanical advantage = load force ÷ effort force A machine multiplies force at the cost of distance: the load always moves less than the effort by the same factor. Friction means the actual advantage falls short of the geometric ideal.
No machine creates energy — the distance trade-off is exact, and efficiency only makes the outcome worse than the geometry promises.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Load force, Effort force applied, Distance the effort moves, Machine efficiency. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.